How to create a B2B campaign that will stand out

At The Drum’s B2B World Fest event in London, John Brockelman, chief marketing officer at State Street Global Advisors, took the audience through seven essential elements that make up a stellar B2B strategy. From customer-centricity to engaging branding and surprising insights, these elements are your ticket to out-of-category success.

1. Customer-centric approach: A successful B2B strategy always begins with the customer in mind. Whether you’re targeting wealth managers or financial advisors, understanding their needs, challenges and interests is paramount. In its US advisor wealth market campaign, State Street Global Advisors recognized the importance of knowing its audience. Like the professionals they cater to, its clients enjoy leisure activities like golf and hiking. Embrace a customer-centric approach to guide your strategy.

2. Clear business objectives: For B2B success, set clear business objectives. State Street Global Advisors’ approach focuses on delivering leads, nurturing contacts, qualifying leads and converting them into new business opportunities. From both a business leader’s and a marketer’s perspective, these objectives ensure a results-oriented approach.

3. Defining brand identity: To be effective, you must be clear about what your brand stands for. State Street Global Advisors brings unseen value to the investing world, a core concept that drives their campaigns. Take the time to identify your brand’s unique selling points and ensure they align with your target audience’s needs and aspirations.

4. Compelling insight: Rally your campaign around a compelling insight. In the case of State Street Global Advisors, it’s the underexposure to mid-cap investments. Identifying such insights helps shape a persuasive narrative for your campaign.

5. Message and creative synergy: Nail your message before you dive into creative execution. State Street Global Advisors emphasizes this sequencing, ensuring the creative supports the message, not the other way around. This ensures a clear and coherent communication strategy.

6. Consistency in tone of voice: Maintain consistency in your brand’s tone of voice. State Street Global Advisors uses smart humor to keep their campaigns engaging. Smart humor not only resonates but differentiates them in the financial services sector.

7. Embrace unexpected ideas: Be open to ideas that might come from ‘left field.’ Don’t hesitate to think outside the box. State Street Global Advisors, for instance, took a conventional golf-oriented campaign and added a unique twist. It organized the MDY Mid-Cap Cup, featuring professional golfers playing with a missing set of clubs. This approach caught the audience’s attention and went beyond typical financial services advertising.

In the competitive world of B2B marketing, the secret to success lies in mastering these seven key elements. By prioritizing your customers, setting clear objectives, defining your brand, uncovering compelling insights, aligning your message and creativity, maintaining a consistent tone of voice, and embracing unique ideas, you can create out-of-category campaigns that drive tangible results.